Definition

The Bennington College study was conducted by sociologist Theodore Newcomb from 1935 until 1939. The study examined the attitudes of students attending the then all-female Bennington College early in the college's history; indeed, the study began during the first year that the college had a senior class. The study is notable not only for the findings it yielded in relation to group influence on individual attitudes, but also because of its methodological significance in being the first major study to interview the same group of individuals about their attitudes on multiple occasions across time.

Background and History

The social climate at the time that the study was conducted was one of change and controversy. Many of the students came from affluent families with very conservative political attitudes. ...

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